Rafa Benitez ’s ruthless approach to team selection has been like a breath of fresh air at Newcastle United, but former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti claimed the San Siro was consumed by a “climate of terror” during the Spaniard’s reign there.

Jonjo Shelvey, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Georginio Wijnaldum have all been dropped in recent games as Benitez has proven that he is not afraid to axe big-name players if they are not doing an adequate job for the team.

His methods have proven justified too, with United having collected four points from their last two outings.

When Benitez took over from Jose Mourinho at Inter in 2010 though, Moratti claims the ex-Liverpool boss’ methods had a negative impact at the San Siro.

Despite leading the Italian giants to the FIFA Club World Cup, he was sacked just seven months into the job as Moratti became frustrated by the direction the club was heading in.

Unlike at Inter, the Newcastle dressing room appears to have responded positively out on the field to the Spaniard’s methods, however.

“In my view, hiring Benitez was a mistake,” former Inter president Moratti said.

“He is a great professional, but there is also a huge difference in terms of communication, character and rapport.

“I did nothing to bother him, but at a certain point I really wanted to, because he made us feel as if we couldn’t celebrate anything.

“We lived in a climate of terror and had to be wary so we wouldn’t offend anyone.

“There was no enthusiasm in this situation and in the end enthusiasm propels you to victory.

“I always tell the players to enjoy their football.

“This was lacking with Benitez, so we started going after Leonardo, who I think was one of the best coaches I ever had.